US religious freedom panel urges sanctions against India's RSS during chief's US visit
WASHINGTON: A US panel on religious freedom has expressed concern about a visit to the US by the chief of the Hindu nationalist group that is the ideological parent of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and urged sanctions on the group’s members.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged the US government to impose sanctions on the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its members following the group's chief, Mohan Bhagwat, upcoming visit to the US. The panel expressed concern over the RSS's activities, stating that they violate religious freedom and need targeted sanctions.
The USCIRF, a bipartisan government body, has not yet imposed sanctions, despite recent recommendations. India's foreign ministry has dismissed the panel's assertions, calling USCIRF biased against India. Rights groups argue that the RSS promotes a majoritarian ideology that fuels intolerance towards minorities, while the group itself denies being intolerant and claims to be a Hindu-centric civilizational movement.
International human rights groups also point to a rise in abuse of Indian minorities, citing factors such as hate speech, a religion-based citizenship law, and the demolition of Muslim-owned properties.
Brief written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
